...part of a well-oiled comedic ensemble
The Refugee Girls Revue
**** (Four stars) Tsunamis, illegal immigration, child labor, global warming: Nothing is safe or sacred in the deliciously wicked spoof that is The Refugee Girls Revue. This dark musical parody, by Second City alum Jenna Friedman, should delight anyone who thinks that the stories of cholera, malaria and war that commonly crop up in American Girl doll narratives are wildly inappropriate for young children—and also pretty funny. The show begins at the Refugee Girls Club, where newcomers Katrina and her sister Rita are introduced to the complete Refugee Girl doll collection through song, dance and hilariously twisted social commentary. The cast works together brilliantly as a well-oiled comedic ensemble, some even donning braces to accessorize their roles as prepubescent girls. As smart as it is amusing, The Refugee Girls Revue uses off-color humor to suggest that, although we're no longer living in a time of cholera, our dolls (and we) still have a hell of a lot to endure.
—Amanda Waas, Assistant to the Publisher
Time Out New York